Automobile servicing device



T. A. MARTIN AUTOMOBILE SERVICING DEVICE Filed Feb.. 16. 1927 2sheets-sheet 1 July 14,1931. T. A. MARTIN AUTOMOBILE SERVIGING DEVICEFilgd Feb. 16, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 I nueqn Tf1/Marin his ttouw UNITEDSTATESA PATENT Lor-FICE lrenommer A. immun, or BRIDGEronr, coNNEcirrcuTU'rouonun snavrcma nEvIcE Application illed February 16, 192'?.- SerialNo. 168,509.

Thefpresent invention relates tov an im- `oved automobile lrack andcrank caseA aining device, and more particularlyl to an auto lift havingmeans for draimn lluids from the carsuch as crank c ase'oi The inventionfurther relates. to a rotary automobile rack having means f issociatedtherewith for receiving" fluid in all. rotary positions of the rack. L il ,Y .Other features ofthe invention w 1l1 be apparent .from thefollowing description and claims, and by reference to the accom- .pan'ng drawings. n e specific o erating means for the auto- 16 mobile tionthereof are set forth and claimed 1n my divisional application -SerialNo. 316,475, filed Novemberl, 1928.

In the accompanylng drawings showin one lembodiment of my lnventlon, A-Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section in lowered position.-j.:

Fig.'2 is a plan,view.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through one track member. y a Y Fig. 4shows a detail.

Fig. 5 shows a section at vright angles to that of Fig. 1. y

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the latter.

` Figs. 7 and 8 show details of the column.

Fig. 9 shows the drain valve device.

The apparatus is shown as comprising a frame or Atrack device mounted ona column, 'in'two telescoping portions, and having aI-f' motor mountedonthe column to raise the track member. .As shown I provide a lpair oftrack bars 9 and 10. preferablyvof channel form,that may have a guardplate 11 on one side.l These bars are suitably supported and connectedto extend parallel the proper distance apart to receive the four wheelsof an auto., As shown I provide a cross member. constructed of twoupright channelbars'12 and 13 secured toptop and 4I bottom lates 14, 15.An upright column is provlded vthat supports .it he cross member, and asshown this icolumn is i composed of four angle bars 1 6, 17, 18 and 19,spaced apart in the formofl a square 5 0 and by plates '20. Anothercollift, an other detailsof construc-Y 4backward motion of the post. -Asshown an :.th'e motor frame projecting some distance frameis in thelowered position as shown in umn or post is provided that slides' onthis stationaryjcolumn, preferably inside of the same, and as shown iscomposed of two channel bars, 21 'and 22, connected by plates 23 and'24at the ends, and which -also have 65 plates 25 and 26 to form additionalsupport for the inner post, that is freely slidable in this main column.The latter is sunk in the ground or floor as indicated in Fig. 1. Thelnner column or post has a top late 8, suitably secured as by anglebrackets 27. The crossv member bottom plate 15 lrests on this plate 8and a pivot bolt 7 passes through the-,two plates, so that the trackmember can' turn around on the post.

Means are provided for raising this inner post, such as an electricmotor, that is connected therewith by suitable reduction gearingincluding `Worm .gearing to.V prevent electricmotor- 28 is mounted on ashelf 29 on the column. 'A cross shaft 30 carriesa inion 31 that 'mesheswith a rack bar 32 ast to the side plate 26 of the inner post. Thisshaft 30 carries a worin wheel 33 that engages a worm 34 on a shaft 35;which' shaft 35 carries a worm wheel 36, that engages a worm 37 on ashaft 38; and gearA 39 on shaft 38'engages a gearn40 onI motor shaft 41.The shelf 29 is part of a frame or housing l42 for the motor. The columnor the motor frame may be supported on the aground or floor, but asshown a pair of bars 43 and 44 are secured to the upper part or" beyondthe same. to rest on the floor or ground and thus support the column andall parts connected thereto. Y

It will be understood that when thetrack S0 Fig. 1, the tracks' will benear the ground or on the same level, and the wheels of the car are'runonto the tracks. Then the motor is started and the inner post will beslowly raised to elevate the auto the desired height above the floor, togive unrestricted access beneath all parts of the auto. At any elevationof the auto the track member can be turned-to any position togive-better access. v

' carried b to drain in to tank 63. When raised the 4is shown as hookedonto the end of the track bar and extends down at an incline tothefloor. It ma have a hook end 47 that pro- 'ects down through a hole 48in the track ar, and is so bent that it can be swung up until thestraight part 49 of the hook is up- Y d right in the hole, that willsupport the plate i in an u wardly inclined position extendin outwardlyto p revent the wheel passing o the end of the track; see Fig. 1`.

When a device of this character holds the car in a raised position, itis frequently desirable to withdraw fluids from parts of the car, suchasoil from the crank case. The latter is usually at a certain part ofthe car, and I provide an arrangement that will be the track member tobe located beneath t e crank ca'se so that it is only necessary to openthe outlet and the oil can drain by gravity to ,a suitable receptacle.As shown I arrange a funnel 50 carried by a pipe 51 on a bracket 52, inthe form of a bent plate that has a hook portion 53 bent over romitsupright part 54 andwhich is `secured tothe pipe 51; anda bend 56 ismade in the bottom of this hook to engage the flange 57 of the trackbar. It will be seen from Fi 2 that the funnel 50 extends out to themlddle of the track member between the center and end, where the crankcase outlet is usually located. A pipe 58 connects with the pipe 51along the track and leads to a tank 59 located inside of the cross bar12-13. It will be understood that the oil can thus be drained from thecrank case Ainto this tank in any fposition of the track operate in anyrotary position of the track member. As shown I` arrange an annular tank63 on the motor frame, and each tank 59 and 62 has an outlet valve 64 ona valve seat 65 with a stem 66.V The valve is normally seated, but whenthe track member is lowered the valve stem will strike the annular tank63 and be raised causing the tank valve will again close. A tank 67 willdrain the tank 63.

1. In an auto lift, a track member comprising a pair'of parallel trackbars connected by a cross member and spaced apart to receive the'wheelsof an auto, means to elevate and depress the track member, a tankcarried bythe track member, a funnel carried b the track member arrangedto receive uid from the auto, a pipe from the funnel to the tank, andmeans to, automatically drain the tank when the track member is loweredfrom the elevated position.

2. In an auto lift, aA track member comprising a pair of parallel trackbars connecte by a cross member and spaced apart to receive the wheelsof an auto,.means to elevate and depress the track member, a funnelcarried by the track member arranged to receive fluid from the auto, atank carried by the track member connected with the funnel to drain itsfluid, a valve on the tank normally closed, and means to open the valvewhen the track member is lowered from raised position, and which valvewill close when the tank is again raised.

3. In an auto lift, a track member comprising a pair of parallel trackbars connected by a cross bar and spaced to receive the wheels of anauto, a single column. having a slide post thereon that supports thetrack member rotatable thereon, means to actuate the slide post toelevate and depress the track member, a tank carried by the trackmember, a funnel carried by the track member arranged to drain into thetank, and means to automatically drain the tank when the track member islowered from a raised position in all rotary positions of the trackmember.

4. In an auto lift, a track member, means to elevate and depress vthetrack member, means carried by said track member arranged to receivefluid from the auto, and

- means for automatically draining fluid from the fluid receiving meanscarrled by 'said track member as said member is lowered from theelevated osition.

5. In an auto lit, a track member, means to vertically reciprocate thetrack member,

means carried by said track member and;

arranged to receive fluid fromthe auto, and means operated by thereciprocation of said track member for automatically draining the iluidfrom'the iuid receiving means carried by the track member. i

6. In an auto lift, a track member, means for rotatably supporting saidtrack member,

-means for elevating and depressing said supporting means, means carriedby said track member for receiving fluid from said auto, and means forautomatically draining the fluid from said fluid receiving means in allan automobile being serviced, a drain tank also carried bythe rack forreceiving fluid from the funnel, and a circular pit beneath I SQ therack for receiving fluid from said tank in all rotary positions of therack.

v 8. In combination with a movable automobile rack comprising a pair offlanged track members spaced apart to `receive the wheels of anautomobile, a drain system carried by the rack, and a fixed receivingsystem beneath the rack for receiving fluid from the rack-carried drainsystem, the said rackcarried drain system including a funnel movable .toa position beneath the crank case of an automobile being serviced, adrain pipe leading from the funnel, a tank for collecting oil from thedrain pipe, and a hook tting over one of'said track members forsupporting said drain pipe, said hook having a ent-over ortion to engagethe inner face of the track ange, an upright portion engaging theoutside of the track flange, and a horizontal portion engaging beneaththe bottom of the track.

Signed this 7 day of February, 1927. THOMAS A. MARTIN.

